End of the road for tiny Fiats

We were thinking of getting our granddaughter one of those tiny Fiat 500s when she finishes her graduate degree next year, as she’s an urban girl who won’t drive it much, certainly not on interstates, and parking is almost impossible where she will be living. The salesman we spoke to said there are rumors that the car is being discontinued. Is that true?

It is true.

In what many regarded as a big surprise, Fiat Chrysler announced recently that the 2019 model of the distinctive little Fiat 500 mini car will be the last new model year on this continent.

The teeny-tiny pop-about vehicles are deeply loved by many of the people who have them, but there are apparently not a sufficient number of them. In the best sales year in the U.S., only about 44,000 of them were purchased. Last year the number was 5,370.

Therefore, you can’t get your granddaughter brand-spanking-new 2020 next year. But no one ever said the only good car gift is one with 0 miles on the odometer. I’m sure you would be able to find a 2019 with low mileage in excellent shape, and it’s entirely possible your dealership will have leftover 2019 inventory (and/or will communicate with other dealerships to locate something) that you can purchase.

An argument is often made that when you buy a discontinued model, you’ll wind up with service, maintenance and repair issues a few years down the road because the carmaker won’t be inclined to keep parts shelves stocked and techs trained. That’s something to keep in mind.

Whenever our local TV station does a report of a traffic fatality, they say whether the person was wearing a seatbelt, as if that’s an explanation for why these poor people died. It makes me wonder if there are any actual figures the correlate lack of seatbelt use to traffic deaths.

Of the approximately 37,000 people who died in vehicle traffic crashes in this country in 2016, 47 percent were NOT wearing seatbelts, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Another stat: About 86 percent of U.S drivers say they wear seatbelts regularly.

What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.